Of course....thank God for clearer heads

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. judge dealt a setback to the Bush administration and ruled on Monday that the Guantanamo Bay terrorism suspects can challenge their confinement and the procedures in their military tribunal review process are unconstitutional.

Trying to get Swank, and Wilsoning it

Hilary Swank got so buff in friggin' three months for that boxer movie, but I go to the gym all the time and I ain't about shit. Of course I refuse to eat egg whites, I mean that's just nasty.

Yesterday I pulled a Brian Wilson and stayed in bed almost all day. Got up went to the gym and worked out hard, came home showered and went to bed. Watched bad movies on cable, and read the newspapers all from the bed. It was cold and rainy so it seemed like the best thing to do.

I think I'm bitter about Urban outfitters cause we never had the luxury. In my day we had to go to Goodwill and dig for hours in search of the perfect ironic retro t-shirt only to find that it had pit stains or was two sizes too small. Now thanks to corporate America, you can get standard issue slacker chic and reasonable prices.

Did I mention how far I walked to school in the snow?


Music-winter chill
Netflix-Murder on a Sunday morning

Bright eyes

'No one ever plans to sleep out in the gutter, sometimes it's just the most comfortable place'-Bright eyes

Okay I must admit I kinda wanted to hate this record. When something is this over-hyped, there is a natural tendency to be guarded. But don't hold the hype against the artist, because this is a pretty solid effort.

How I got fired from Hastings

'We both got fired on exactly the same day'-Modest Mouse


Hastings on the drag in Austin was a big porn source. Sure there were true porno shops in Austin, but on the main drag by campus Hastings was right up there. We sold tons of adult mags, and I'm not talking about Playboy here. We rented porn films, but they were cable versions. If you've never seen a cable version porno it goes something like this. Two people are playing tennis, they take a break, they start kissing and heavy petting, the clothes start to come off, then they are playing tennis again. Or another technique was to move the camera away from the private parts, so you could only see from the mid section up. Bottom line cable version porn was bad by any measure. The films weren't good enough to sit through without the sex, and the sexiness was too weak by porn standards. I could never understand the market. Remember this was way back in the day, VCRs were far from standard in most houses. We rented vcrs like crazy, can you imagine. A night at home watching VHS tapes was so coveted that you would rent a bulky plastic suitcase VCR and a stack of tapes for the weekend. It sounds so strange by today's standards. VCR rental would run you like $20, and there would always be technical questions. I spent an inordinate amount of my shifts on the phone saying these things;

'Is your tv cable ready?
'Did you adjust the tracking?
'Is you tv on channel 3 or 4?
'Well sir you're not gonna see penetration, they're cable versions....I know....I agree'


Anyway where was I? Oh yeah getting fired. One Saturday night Bill and I were having a bit of Crown before work and just kinda carried over into our night shift. I was the Manager (I know) and we were blasting Elvis' 'Burning love' over and over all evening, and getting drunker by the hour. Well someone complained (naturally) and we both got fired on exactly the same day.

It worked out well for me cause I landed at Sound Exchange, and there drunk and disorderly was encouraged.

The Gambler

I do remember profiting one time from dumpster merch. We got a whole bunch of Louise Mandrell and Kenny Rogers cassettes that were drilled. The drilled bar code was a tiny little pin hole which was supposed to mean it was not for retail sale. At this time Target didn't know these were promos, and so we could exchange them for 10.98 ea.

'yeah my grandma got me this tape for my birthday, and I like new wave. Can I like exchange it or something?


T weren't you in on this caper?

No surgery for me

I met with my would-be surgeon yesterday for quite a long time. We discussed at length the pros and cons of each option etc. It was decided that since I'm a healthy and happy man, with no symptoms that it might be a better option for me to chill and get on with life. I may have to have the procedure at some point in this life but there is a 65% I won't ever have to deal with it at all.

So I will be available to escort Baby Spice to the Grammys as hoped.


In other news I feel like such a pessimist when I think this war is unwinnable. That depression pales in comparison to how I feel when I'm reminded that our President thinks it's already been won. Let's assume it can be won, what will be the final cost in dollars and lives? But hey it's worth it right? I mean Saddam might've wanted to acquire WMDs and then later he might've wanted to use them.

'I can't arrest a man for what he might do'-Cape Fear

We never had Napster and we liked it

In the 80's industrious young men would find interesting ways to occupy themselves on summer nights. In the days before email, cell phones, and the internet we had to get creative. Dave and I were music lovers with a phone book, and a desire for something that might pass for adventure.

I can still recall the exhilaration of the getaway, the hum of Dave's Datsun wagon with faux wood paneling on the side. Pulling onto the freeway we knew we were clear, and it was safe to sample the spoils. On this night the spoils started with a cassette tape by an artist called Kool Mo Dee. As the first beats of 'go see the doctor' played we felt satisfied listening to this artist we'd only moments earlier 'discovered' in the large trash bin at RCA records. As Kool Mo Dee rapped about the perils of venereal disease we must've looked quite pleased with ourselves.

And so went the first night of dumpster diving. Later we would branch out to all the major labels, get chased by security on several occasions, and bring friends along. I think I stopped short of taking a date however.

Laugh all you want but under coffee grounds and Chinese food we found happiness in the form of Depeche mode, Echo and the bunnymen, and the Cult radio promo 12" singles. I would read all the trades, Billboard, Hits, Variety, and any others that were dry enough to take home. We had life size cardboard standups of Hall and Oates, Rick Springfield, as well as lesser 'artists' like Joyce Kennedy. I owned more Whitney Houston posters than the Houston family. Over time my room began to look like a warehouse full of cut out bins. If only we had ebay back then I'd be blogging from my yacht.

Psst...wanna buy a Grim Reaper keychain?

Brother can you spare a dime

Bush Wants $80B More for Iraq, Afghan Wars

Collectable gallstones

I want to keep them, that is to say once they are removed I want them. I was thinking maybe in a small cotton satchel like the type Gold Rush gum used to come in.

wrong way

I don't always have to be right, I'm always admitting that I'm wrong. In fact admitting that I'm wrong is one of the few things I consistently get right.


I really don't see how you think I always have to be right, I think you have that wrong.
Of course I could be wrong.

New blog names

Don't know bout you but I think of better names for my blog all the time.

Today's entry;

'the nakedness of man faced with the absurd' -Albert Camus

Long live I

And I don't wanna be your shadow
And I don't wanna know your skin
Tell em not to dig too shallow
I want to sleep in sin
Cut the sun and seal away a piece
Long live I
Long live I
Long live I

-Angela McCluskey

Monday

I'm glad I had football to distract me yesterday. I'd spent enough time feeling sorry for myself. I'm still on pace to have far more surgeries than sexual encounters this year, but I'm not gonna think about that anymore.

The case for replay was made stronger than ever yesterday. In the AFC title game replay righted two wrongs, and confirmed one controversial decision to be correct. Replay came up very big on one of the largest stages, nuff said. It can likely still be improved, but yesterday it was perfect.

oh that...I meet with the surgeon tomorrow afternoon to discuss all the options, treatments etc.

Saturday;
'Dad can we go see Are we there yet? it has Ice Cube in it and he's cool'
'used to be cool son, used to'

Well it was that or Electra, I was leaning towards Electra for obvious inappropriate reasons, but Cube won the day.

I'm still dreaming of Jenna Bush, and I'm pretty sure I could convert her to the dark side. 'Make sweet love to me you proletariat! Viva La Revolution!

Lot's of music released this week;

Trail of dead
Bright eyes
Chemical Brothers
Lemon Jelly
M83
Mercury Rev (UK)
Gruff Rhys (UK)

Gallstones

Surgery is recommended.


Sounds like no biggie.


Many of you have been through worse.


R

A nation waits

For my initial thoughts on the new season of the Apprentice.

I dig Kristen quite a bit, she's nice looking and can be a total bitch it seems. Though I would hope she loses the Castro hat sooner rather than later. Overall however this group of women is not as hot as last season As for the guys, John the fake Vince Vaughn seems cool. But in each case time will tell.


Tackling the important issues so you don't have to.

R

mmmmm warm jelly

Interesting morning in the healthcare world. I got to get naked, and wear a smock. I got warm jelly poured on my tummy. So far so good right? I mean I kinda liked it, just a little lower...

Party's over here come the steely knives.

I got stuck with a needle five times. I must have the deepest veins in Texas, and once they do finally tap into a stream the blood flows like molasses. After four unsuccessful pricks, I started to get a little uncomfortable, and the 'nurse' fearing the 220 lb faint made me lay down for a while. Finally on attempt number 5 the pipeline was opened and I could get the hell out of there.

So here it is 1 pm on a Friday and I decide to waltz in and grace everyone at work with my presence for a few hours.

I won't know how long I have to live until Monday or Tue, but do any of us really know?

Thanks for caring.

R

Chunklet

There is a new issue of Chunklet out now. If you're not reading Chunklet you're missing out.

Glory days

I've been thinking a lot lately about the good times we used to have at the indie record store. We were known for being ill tempered, and we embraced this title. In those days being shitty was an art form, an act that could be seen through if you tried. It was a gag you could be in on, if you could stop being offended long enough and were so inclined. Nowadays everyone has shitty service, and there's nothing fun about it. Fucking amateurs. I loved that the Austin Chronicle described our demeanor as 'acting like we are in the final days of Hitler's bunker'

We had certain gags that were our reason for living;


We would often play the loudest, foulest music we had available. When we were ready for a change we would simply lift the needle off the record, no fade outs at Sound Exchange that move was way too corporate. Hey man if you want a fade out, go up to Hastings or Tower. All too often when the music ends abruptly some wise ass customer will say 'thank you...sheeesh' This was not a welcome response, so we would put the needle right back on the record and turn up the volume even louder. We are not here to make you happy! Valerie taught me that trick and I loved her for it. Valerie was a natural. Valerie was doing you a favor by being in the same room, and I still have a Suzi Quatro record she gave somebody a dime for in my name.

I specialized in listing fake new releases on the board.

1-21
Morrissey-The high hard one
Cure-Kissing Christmas cats
1-25
Sting-Wanker since the police
2-1
Tommy Shaw-The genius songwriter collection
Bernie Taupin-The instrumentals

I remember it fondly but at the time I was hating it. I was just biding my time until my boy John came up there so we could go the Cannibal club or the Dog and Duck.

I lost touch with a lot of my old pals (as I expressed regret over on this blog) but through the miracle of technology I've been finding them one by one.

Youth was wasted on the young-as they say

errrr

All this inauguration hoopla is a beating. Look the guy has already been sworn in ok? Can we just skip the waste of time and money and get on with life. Don't we have terrorists to catch, and an exit strategy to develop etc?

Last night I watched 60 minutes, Jerry Stiller's character on King of Queens was wearing a Fred Perry sweater, and today I'm wearing a cardigan. My perilous hold on coolness is slipping. The inexorable march of old age continues. What's next? A pipe?

Music-Hotel Costes vol 1-5

Gilles Peterson is genius!

American Idol

This show is terrible America!

I tried to watch it last night since I got tired of not knowing William Hung from Fantasia, but I'm here to tell you I was happier not knowing. All the terrible singers seem like fakes, and how many ways can Simon say the same thing.

'you are the musical equivalent of the anthrax scare'
'you are a tsunami to my ears'
'you are the John Wayne Gacy of pop music'*

And the 'good' singers are terrible too. They aspire to a style I don't care for. I don't really care who the next Mariah Carey is to be very honest.

Thumbs down on the whole thing.

*these are fake Simon quotes (obviously)

Wednesday

that time is my time
that time is my own
I feel so alive yet feel so alone
cause you know you're the one and that hasn't changed
since you were 19 and still in school waiting for the light on the corner by Sound Exchange

-Spoon

Ahhhh yes! If I stay here much longer it will pass Sound Exchange as my longest tenure at any one employer. Most days I think I'd rather be at an indie record store.


I really hate vanity plates. I don't like being an unwilling participant in your little riddle or pun. I don't care if you are a Dent1st, drflgd, or have nopymt. It's not cool, and I don't care. If you have vanity plates please don't be offended you know I'm just a hay8ter.


Music-M83, Arcade Fire, Gilles Peterson worldwide vol 1-3, AC Newman

A380

When I worked for Learjet I became obsessed with the Airbus A380. This 8 story double decker aircraft will seat 550 people. It's official launch happened recently, and it's magnificent.

I'd post a link, but I can't post links from here.

Where is the outrage

Why doesn't anyone seem to care that men are still being held in gitmo without having been charged with anything? If we are so sure they've done it can we at least charge them? It's not very American to let them rot in jail without being charged with anything.

Why doesn't anyone care that the war over WMD didn't find any WMDs?

MLK

Of course we are not off today...errrr

Liverpool 0 Man U 1 errrrrr! Congratulations Megan, I do hope you catch Chelsea.

Shame on CBS for making the viewer miss a touchdown in the Pats game. You just had to try and cram one more plug for Cold case in didn't ya? Never mind that we had seen it 100 times already. You would think in a sport that stops for TV, we could not miss action.

Football is interfering with my life too much. I watched all four games, and the Liverpool match. The only time I left my house all weekend, was to go to the gas station and the gym. The worst part is most of the games were bad. I'm looking forward to having a life again.

My test is now Friday morning. I will do my best not to reschedule it again.

Music-Handsome boy modeling school
Netflix- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance kid, & Targets (a creepy 60's film about a guy who shoots at a freeway) not very good.

Missing

My cleaners have misplaced two of my shirts. On Monday they explained that my shirts were misplaced and to check back on Tuesday. I was ill so I checked yesterday and they explained that the shirts were not found on site and that they must've been given to another customer by mistake.

Ewwwwwww! Who gets another person's clothes and doesn't say anything!?! my mind races. Maybe they just didn't notice yet or something.

Anyway after 10 days they will 'reimburse me' herein lies the problem. I don't know which two shirts are missing and my home inventory yields few answers. Like any good shabby chic pimp I dabble in the low end as well as the dandy. Not all of my shirts are bespoke finery, but if you get between me and my Fred Perry we throw down.

So the two shirts could be worth as little as $35.00 or much more. Not to mention I have damages, I laid awake last night wondering who in my neighborhood my be so callous to keep ill fitting, and ill gotten shirts. I've not only lost shirts but I've lost faith in my fellow man. It has caused me great pain and suffering as I exchange pleasantries with the neighbors always watchful for the slightest suspicious movement.

I tried to remember what I wore around Christmas but nothing.... I have no idea what's missing.

So I'm feeling violated. And like any good American when I feel violated I get punitive. So my inclination is to buy two top shelf shirts and send the bill to my cleaners.

Now I understand why people get monogrammed gear, I don't dig it personally but it keeps other playas from frontin' in yo shiznit.


R

Make a wish

If it turns out that I'm dying, I wonder if I get to do that make a wish thing.

If so, I need to think of some options for my wish.

I'm thinking maybe lead cowbell player for ELO, if I get to sing backup on the 'ha ha' part of Evil Woman.

Fever 101.4 request hour

And this one goes out to Dubya down in Crawford, 'the search is over' by Survivor.


We came looking for WMD and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.


Let's see no Osama, no WMD....yeah mission accomplished.

Here comes sickness

Woke up Tuesday with a monster headache, and it went downhill from there. Apparently there is a 24 hr bug going around, and it got around to me. Women readers will not be surprised when I say that I'm a total weenie when I get sick. (typical male)

101.4 fever
chills, sweats
all manner of unpleasantries happening at both ends of the body.

Without going into any more detail I was out of commission on Tue and most of Wed.

Sorry to keep the suspense going but my ultrasound is going to be next week. I set it for the 18th at 8:30, but I have a conference call at that time so I will reschedule the ultrasound a third time. No, I'm not trying to avoid it, quite the opposite actually I'd rather get on with it. Even after I'd decided I would call in sick on Tue I still was hoping to get the ultrasound done, but the bug had other ideas.

Since Monday night I've eaten;

6 crackers
5 tablespoons of chicken soup with rice
2 slices of toast well done
1 half a banana
Lots of water and Gatorade

Total weightloss? 2 lbs

Glad to back among the living.


Our annual raises happen today and tomorrow, and not surprisingly we got the confidentiality reminder letter. Lest any of the 2% people know you got 3% this year. I'm just glad blogging is free.

The first record I ever bought with my own money was Queen's News of the world. I paid $4.99 at a place called Tiger records. Tiger records was more of a head shop than a record store as I recall. And yeah of course it was vinyl.

Music- Thievery Corporation the outernational sound which isn't the thievery corporation at all but rather them mixing other peoples records. It's quite swanky.

Netflix- The great race (as I attempt and fail once again to interest my kid in something that I once loved as a child)

R

Monday

Over a year ago at a Christmas party, I was chastised for suggesting that there was no such thing as a front line in Iraq. My thinking was that in a guerilla war you cannot feel safe knowing you are not on the 'front line'

Every day it seems we read about another bomb, and several have happened in the so-called green zone.

So how was I so wrong exactly?

No I didn't watch the effing people's choice awards...puhlease. Here's something the people didn't choose 'Surviving Christmas' set a record for shortest window between theatrical debut and dvd release.(60 days) This Ben Affleck flop was released for Christmas 2004, and failed so completely that it was also released on dvd in time for Christmas 2004. When was the last Affleck hit?

music-M83
Netflix-Baraka

Looking for answers

Tuesday Morning I go in for my ultrasound and blood work. No need to panic, two years ago they though my kidneys were bingo, and they turned out to be fine.


Other good things in 2004;
Arcade Fire
The life aquatic with Steve Zissou
Franz Ferdinand
Killers
Razorlight
Modest Mouse
Keane

R

I'm may be dying

Scratch that Crestor comment. The doc just called, and I have issues.

I have to get an ultrasound of my liver. Of course one potential side effect of Lipitor (which I've been on for years)is liver damage. (in rare cases)

I get to have a sonogram just like Ahnold in that horrible pregnancy movie.


Been nice knowing you. Hasta la vista baby.

Stock answers

My Friend Michael reminded me of a quote I used to say often;

'if you need an answer immediately, the answer is no' it's not my line, but I've always thought it was sound advice.

Yesterday after consulting my doctor I am now the Crestor cowboy yeee hawww. I tell you this so if and when Crestor makes headlines for killing people you can help my lawyer with dates and dosage. (10 mg)

My doctor felt my insurance companies findings were suspect, and took another blood sample for his own lab to look at. And no I still don't like needles.

My insurance agent says he will look at the lab tests again in one year if I live that long.

Hot or not?
I'm a 7.9 out of ten according to 50 random voters. I will soon remove my pic as I feel I may be a tad too thin skinned for this sort of thing.

Music-Arcade Fire-funeral

Buried

My mail box and email box are stuffed to the roof with work. My inbox is empty, but there are a million things piled on my desk...nice.


So I need to work.


More later I hope.

R

Stormy Weather

I will always remember my Grandfather singing Stormy Weather. So maybe it's fitting that it rained on me the whole trip up to KC and all the way back until the last hour.

My grandfather was a pipe fitter and a union man and in 1937 he made .30 an hour and was thrilled to get that much. My grandfather wrote poetry for the family, showed me how to attempt a curve ball, and taught me the words to a few standards. The best caramels I ever tasted were made by my grandfather (God knows how many calories they had) he made a mean meatball as well. At 65 my Grandfather suffered his second heart attack, and promptly quit smoking. He went on to live to 97. Not bad at all, he lived on his own terms until his final week, not bad either. He came a long way from the one room school house where he started.

Carry that weight.

On Tuesday we laid my Grandfather to rest. My brother and I were pall bearers, and we did our best to look strong. Two years ago my Grandfather wrote some notes about his life and didn't want us to read it until after he passed. When the minister read some of these notes we all lost it. He wrote about meeting my Grandmother the pain he felt when she passed in 1997, and how he wouldn't change a thing. Not many dry eyes at that point.

I remember when my father died, it was my grandfather who gave me the most comforting words and reassurance.

Thanks for all your kind words and I regret that I've been a poor correspondent in the last few days but we have been very busy.

More later.

R

New Year's Blah

My Grandfather passed away, and my Liverpool lost to effing Chelsea. All before noon on this the first day of the year.

Nice start eh, it can only get better right?

I won't be posting much for the next few days unless I find some wifi in my travels.

Happy new you to you all.

R